Translation guide
How to express 'leaving behind' in Japanese, covering physical abandonment, forgetting items, surpassing others, and leaving a legacy.
To leave someone or something in a place and go away, often with a sense of abandonment or neglect.
He fled, leaving his family behind.
A dog had been left behind on the roadside.
Literally 'put and go'. More neutral than 置き去りにする. Can be used for intentionally leaving something behind, or simply not taking it along.
I accidentally left my luggage at the station.
To abandon, forsake. Strong emotional nuance, often used for abandoning a person in need or a cause.
He abandoned his friend who was in trouble.
To accidentally leave an item somewhere because you forgot to bring it.
The most common and natural way to say you left something behind by forgetting it. Use with location particle に or で.
I left my umbrella on the train.
Compound of 'put' and 'forget'. Emphasizes the act of putting something down and then forgetting it.
To leave someone behind in terms of progress, skill, or achievement.
To overtake, surpass, or outstrip. Used in competitive contexts. The object is the person or thing being surpassed.
He left his rivals behind and took the lead.
To pull away from, leave far behind. Emphasizes creating a large gap.
Metaphorical use of 'abandon', implying leaving others behind in progress or development.
To leave something behind after one's death or departure, such as a reputation, work, or memory.
General verb for 'leave behind' in the sense of leaving a result, legacy, or trace. Very versatile.
He left behind wonderful works.
She left a lasting influence on many people.
Kanji variant of 残す specifically for leaving behind after death (legacy, will, etc.). Often used in formal or literary contexts.
I accidentally left my phone at the hotel.
I left my wallet behind at the café.
He left the other runners far behind.
Technological progress is leaving some people behind.
He left a huge fortune to his family.